# Android Emulator privacy rating

Google's emulator for running Android virtual devices on a computer, included with Android Studio and based on QEMU.

## Summary

Android Emulator scores 30 out of 100 (grade F) on the emulators and compatibility layers criteria. It meets 1 of 4 criteria: open source. It does not meet no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales and independent audit. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act.

- Website: https://developer.android.com/studio/run/emulator
- Source code: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/external/qemu
- Jurisdiction: United States. Five Eyes member. Subject to the US CLOUD Act.
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
- Category: [Emulators and compatibility layers](https://privacyratings.com/emulators/)
- Also rated: [Android](https://privacyratings.com/mobile-operating-systems/android/) (Mobile operating systems), [Jetpack Compose](https://privacyratings.com/app-frameworks/jetpack-compose/) (Cross-platform app frameworks)
- Grade: F (30/100)

## Criteria

| Criterion | Answer | Note | Evidence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Open source | Yes | GPL-2.0. Google Play system images are proprietary. | https://android.googlesource.com/platform/external/qemu/+/refs/heads/emu-main-dev/COPYING |
| No trackers or telemetry | No | The developer.android.com website uses Google Analytics, and Android Studio and the emulator can send usage statistics and crash reports to Google. | https://policies.google.com/privacy |
| No ads or data sales | No | Made by Google, which is funded by advertising and uses data collected across its services for ads. | https://policies.google.com/privacy |
| Independent audit | No | No independent audit is published. |  |

Source: https://privacyratings.com/emulators/android-emulator/
Edit: https://github.com/privacyratings/privacyratings.com/edit/main/ratings/emulators/android-emulator.md